Gland and reproductive system

Glands and hormones

Glands are those cells which produce secretion called hormones that are released in the blood stream to reach their target sites

Hormones are the chemical messenger that travel inside our body through blood stream and control our body to function and perform its day to day activity.

Glands are divided in two types: endocrine glands and exocrine glands

Endocrine glands: these glands are ductless glands that mean that they pour their secretion directly in the blood stream. The secretion reaches its target site travelling through blood. Eg; pineal, pituitary, parathyroid, thyroid, thymus, adrenal, ovaries(female), testes(male).

Exocrine glands: these glands release their secretion with the help of duct at the specific sites. Eg; tear gland(lachrymal), salivary, mammary(female), live,r intestinal, urethral(male).

Heterocrine glands: these are the exceptional gland which poses both kinds of characteristics. Some secretions are released through duct while some secretions are released directly in the blood stream. Eg; pancreas and gonads.

What is the role of hormone is initiating reproductive system?

When the pituitary gland also called as master gland secrete follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), it stimulates the gonads (testes and ovary) to release testosterone and estrogen respectively. These hormones cause the physical change in human body to take place. Along with this testosterone and estrogen activates the testes and ovary to release their respective gametes, sperm and ova.

Reproductive phase in life of humans:

Reproductive phase in the life of a female: in female the reproductive phase starts at puberty with the time when the ovary releases it first ova and it lasts till the age of 45-50 years. With the onset of puberty ova start to mature. During the reproductive period the two ovaries start to release ova after each 28 days. Each ovary release an ovum alternately at the difference of 28 days. When the ovum is released it passes through the fallopian tube, during this period the uterus prepares itself for the situation in which egg gets fertilized and zygote is formed. In the presence of estrogen and progesterone the wall of uterus gets thick and gets enriched with lots of capillaries. This happens because the foetus settles in the uterus and the foetus gets nutirition from the mothers blood through the umbical cord. If there is no fertilization the uterus wall slowly breaks down and blood and mucous is released from the vagina. This process is called menstruation and it repeats at every 28 days in the form of a cycle.

Sex determination of boy or a girl

The genetic information of a person is carried in the nucleus of its cell. In the nucleus the information is present in the chromosomes in the form of genes. Genes carry the information from parents to offsprings. Sex chromosome of a female is XX while that of a male is XY. When the gamete are formed the mother gamete contain X chromosome gamete while the gametes of father will be of two type, one having X chromosome and another one having Y chromosome.

When X chromosome of female fuses with X chromosome of male a girl child is born while When X chromosome of female fuses with Y chromosome of male a boy child is born.